You can go Unholy and Festerblight whenever you want, but you'll only truly excel once you get the fabled feather. It's not the only thing that makes it viable, it's what makes it notably better than frost. Outside of feather, the specs are close enough that RNG makes the difference which one prevails.

If you are getting destroyed by similar geared DW, you might want to look into why your dps is low, a spec change is not going to do anything for your dps unless you can pull it off better. If you want to post here http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...-My-DK-DPS-MoP, you can try to figure out if you are doing anything wrong as 2H frost.

Check out this thread http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...d-haste-values you really shouldn't be gemming full haste, at your ilvl is might not be hurting you too bad, but in general Strength is stronger than haste for gemming purposes. You also have 3 items that aren't enchanted, so there some damage you are just missing out on.

overall unholy is the highest of the 3 specs, i still go frost here and there on some fights, ji-kun for an example, as the ghoul is mental and despawns if you land before letting your feather expire, plus the burst of frost for the adds is really nice. if they ever fix that bug thou ill probably go unholy for that fight as well. i must say i don't think I've ever been beaten by a dw dk(with similar gear levels), the only way dw beats 2-hand frost is with adds, those fights you should be unholy and you'll blow them away. ie: look at tortos logs i didn't even focus adds just spread dots and stayed on boss and pulled over 400k top dk who was on adds did almost 900k lmao

Depends how you play Unholy, festerblight beats out 2h frost on single target over the course of a fight (assuming no immunity phases on the boss etc), it just doesn't have the starting burst 2h Frost gives.

I also disagree that frost is better for ji'kun, you can dps the eggs whilst not on the ground (just hovering above, and the primal nutriment buff is insane for festerblight, you can put stupidly strong diseases up and get them rolling long enough that they're still there when you return from your next nest rotation.

Depends how you play Unholy, festerblight beats out 2h frost on single target over the course of a fight (assuming no immunity phases on the boss etc), it just doesn't have the starting burst 2h Frost gives.

I also disagree that frost is better for ji'kun, you can dps the eggs whilst not on the ground (just hovering above, and the primal nutriment buff is insane for festerblight, you can put stupidly strong diseases up and get them rolling long enough that they're still there when you return from your next nest rotation.

I'm beginning to experiment with Festerblight.

My guildies have been arguing Unholy is better than Frost (standard Unholy) and I've been calling bullshit based on what IVE seen and also Sim craft.

Festerblight is also only going to be viable if you're good at Standard Unholy; if you're crap at every other part of the spec, getting a feather and rolling strong diseases isn't going to be the magical silver bullet that catapults you to WOL Nirvana.

It's why I encourage people to play what they're comfortable with, even if Festerblight is mathematically more DPS - it's only that way if you can perform that spec as well as whatever your current primary spec is, which is why I'm still frost.

It's also the biggest issue with looking at Sims for 'what is best', because there is literally no physically possible way you can play as well as SimCraft does for those numbers.

I went unholy, I would strongly advise most 2H frost dk's post feather to start going unholy from 2H frost. I chose this route not because festerblight. I chose this route simply because I was getting complacent playing frost because of how absolutely boring it is to play post wotlk. I made this change once I got a gurth in 4.3 and am hoping the spec still stays strong in PVE for the rest of the expansion. I feel unholy is more engaging, especially festerblight, than frost ever has been since they changed to this specific rune system in 4.0. SO glad it is really viable right now.

I went unholy, I would strongly advise most 2H frost dk's post feather to start going unholy from 2H frost. I chose this route not because festerblight. I chose this route simply because I was getting complacent playing frost because of how absolutely boring it is to play post wotlk. I made this change once I got a gurth in 4.3 and am hoping the spec still stays strong in PVE for the rest of the expansion. I feel unholy is more engaging, especially festerblight, than frost ever has been since they changed to this specific rune system in 4.0. SO glad it is really viable right now.

That's... really a terrible reason to encourage people to change specs.

'UR SPEC IS TOO EASY NUBSAUCE, UNHOLY IZ PRO. FESTER OR GTFO.'

Here's an easy test, if any time you're trying to convince someone to exit their comfort zone, and the only argument you can produce is 'I feel...' Then... stop.

There's many better posts with actual mathematical reasons and even a whole sticky on when and where to be Unholy, this is basically an attempt at glorified peer-pressure.

None of our specs are any more difficult than the others, but some definitely do perform better. Unholy will give you better results in a bulk of the encounters in Throne, with only a couple not really working out for it.

Keeping a Frost and Unholy spec ready is advisable, since the stats are the same, and you can switch when you feel the need.

That's... really a terrible reason to encourage people to change specs.

'UR SPEC IS TOO EASY NUBSAUCE, UNHOLY IZ PRO. FESTER OR GTFO.'

Here's an easy test, if any time you're trying to convince someone to exit their comfort zone, and the only argument you can produce is 'I feel...' Then... stop.

There's many better posts with actual mathematical reasons and even a whole sticky on when and where to be Unholy, this is basically an attempt at glorified peer-pressure.

And ain't nobody got time for that.

He asked what he should do, I responded with my preference. The game shouldnt be about numbers it should be about what you actually enjoy playing. He is comfortable with frost...but is probably not playing it right if he is losing single target fights to DW frost dks. I enjoy unholy because it has more things to do on a regular basis. Frost I can just tunnel and push three buttons with the occasional fourth and fifth buttons. I have no option but to push five as unholy. also paying MORE attention to procs/buffs for festerblight at the beginning is definitely more engaging. As frost its just fucking tunnel and playing whackamole. It used to be engaging to the point that you needed to make decisions on what you pushed in a split second. Now you go through lulls of not getting RE procs and just sit there waiting to mash your buttons. The spec sucks with the new rune system everyone plays it because it is EASIER. that is a fact not opinion and is the reason why people continue to stay with it instead of going unholy.

Here's a tip, anytime you feel like belittling someone because of their opinion...just remember opinions are like assholes, and they usually stink...including your own.